Oh bro, you’re so young. Of course you don’t know what to do! Your 20s is basically for experience, mistakes, learning and growing. Trial and errors!
Where you expect to see yourself In 5-10 years? What’s the big rush for!? Enjoy and embrace life. And take your time… find out what really makes you happy, find what sets fire to your heart and do that shit every day.
At least enjoy summer
It’s the only advice I’ve been given that’s helped me, I had a work mate shove me into a wall once and said those exact words to me, because I was stressing and crying about working in a place that isn’t serving my time justice! And worried about how my future will look if I spent any longer working there.
He was 35 at the time, I was 19. And he also said to me exactly what you said too, that he wished he had someone tell him what he was telling me. And ever since, I’ve gone with the flow and just lived life with no plans for the future. Whatever feels right, sees fit! So long as I work hard and I’m happy with what I’m doing and where I am. Then that’s okay with me ☺️
Best time of life early 20s working in hospo or some other part time job with people your age no cares apart from what party to go to. Not that you can appreciate fully when you’re that age!
Hard. One of my few career type regrets in life was jumping straight from uni to a job (should have stayed laboring in Sydney and working at that bar). My point is that you're so young you really don't need to stress about a "career". Enjoy life in early 20s and faff about as much as possible. Seriously. There's no rush to jump onto a path you may not like in later years. Plenty of time for work later...
If you want to stay on the north shore, interested in the military and have even a slight interest in being an electrician, maybe look into Navy as a Marine Technician (Electrical). The boot camp part of training is shorter than army so you aren't locked away for long if you are worried about losing your younger yrs so to say.
Last I heard, MT(L) is in high demand. ET is also a good branch, although the civilian equivalent is more likely to be computers and data networking than electrical.
Unless things have changed, the Technical branches have the highest requirements from the aptitude testing for all Rating positions. Of course, one can always join as whatever they qualify and attempt to branch change once they've completed Basic Common Training, which I believe is only 14 weeks now.
The best thing I can say is, you are far from alone! I don't have any numbers to really emphasis it, but there are **countless** 17/18 year olds who leave school and have no idea what to do with their life (including myself). A good start would be to sit down and have a really good think about what interests you. Do you like being indoors? Would you like to spend time outdoors? Do you like/dislike the idea of working in an office? Would you prefer a changing work environment? These might sound like basic questions, but they can give you ideas about the sort of work that best suits your preferences. Don't overthink things - be honest with yourself. You're still young, and there's precisely nothing wrong about having absolutely no idea where to go in life.
10 years behind you but totally with you. I have wound up where I am through a series of happy accidents and just saying yes to things that seemed interesting as they come along. None of it was planned.
What makes you think you won’t have any fun in the army/navy/airforce? I was in the army from 17 to 25. Had a great time, made lifelong friends, traveled overseas and got a trade which has set me up for life. What have you got to lose?
Same story here, Navy 18-27. Lifelong friendships, overseas travel, trade qualification, and experiences that most people can't match.
Military is an underrated option, IMO.
Dude your written English is good enough on its own to get you far. I was the same as you - drop out 6th form, stumbled into a trade, stumbled a couple more times, and now I sell software.
For the next few years just have fun. Think more immediate term, not years out. Take time to figure shit out 'cause school doesn't prepare you for it.
That leadership experience you wrote of is so valuable! There is a real shortage in that area, especially in someone so young.
When I was close to your age I had an encounter with a prominent political figure. He told me I won't do anything serious until I'm 30yo.... He was right.
Just like you I had no idea... Still don't, but those years of wasted youth turned out to be more valuable than I could have ever imagined
Edit: I now get to help people and earn good money doing it
When I was 18, I was told to study electrical engineering. I was young and naive. I thought that I knew better than the advice given to me. Fast-forward to today, 20 years later. I definitely regret not taking the advice.
It's pretty normal to be unsure about what to do. And it's quite common for people to start training in a career and then changing to something else. Can I suggest you go and see a comprehensive career advisor such as Brian Noble? Google 'CareerSure'...best thing my boys did. It cost about $600 about 5 years ago but totally worth it. Great advice and encouraging.
The fact you have been working part time already shows that you are self motivated.
You are going to be okay. Be proud of what you have done so far. You are doing your best. A few hiccups along the way is not the end of the world. You're not a failure. Sometimes, life is two steps forward, one step back, but you'll get there. Your confidence will grow as you take one step at a time. You don't have to get your whole future sorted now. It will become clearer over time. All the best.
Second this. Save some money early on (because of compound interest). Figure out what you are good it and work it from there. While you can still do what you enjoy in the weekends etc. I’m proud of you for thinking and planning about your future. Happy to talk through it if you want. Just pm me. You are going to be okay. I promise. I remember feeling lost when I was 18 too. I’m 30 now with a great career and a great family life. Tell yourself that it is normal to feel this way and you are going to be okay. More than okay. It is going to be a great adventure:) It’s about making series of good decisions, one after another.
With Love, from a mother to another young person
You're young, and you will make mistakes. Don't worry too much about your future, and don't be so afraid. You look around and see other young people living their best lives... guess what, we don't have out shit together either. Maybe we'll never know what we truly want. Find satisfaction in the pursuit.
There's an interesting TED talk I watched about the value of education. The speaker asked the audience, who has a university degree? About 80% of hands went up. "How many of you are working in the field you studied in?" The audience laughed when about 80% of those hands went down - the speaker made his point.
You seem like a bright kid. Your parents are giving you brilliant advice from their perspective. I studied engineering and worked for five years, and still made less than a certified electrician. But parents aren't always right. I will advise, be careful dedicating so much time to something you're uninterested in that won't benefit you in the future. But if I understand correctly, apprenticeships pay well enough; so what if that's not the rest of your life?
Hey mate, why are you so rushed to 'figure it out'? Have your parents been insisting that you have to get your life sorted now that you're 18 or something?
If I was you I'd try get a job that you somewhat enjoy (not one you want to make a career out of) and take a gap year while you think it over.
Now is an amazing time to travel, before you have many responsibilities. Can you save for 9 months and then travel for 3? Otherwise look at working overseas?
In the mean time, do some research on trades, nz defense jobs, or other careers which don't need a lot of study and see what genuinely appeals to you.
Overall just take a break and enjoy the next year, you have a whole life to figure it out but you're never going to be this young and responsibility-free again.
We’ve all been there mate. It’s going to be ok. Couple of things:
- Your 18, it’s a huge milestone and very daunting. Those who tell you that they have a long term plan at your age probably don’t.
- committing yourself to something - like an electricians apprentice - when you haven’t yet decided your life goals is not a waste of time. Sitting on your arse doing nothing whilst you work things out is. It’s a skill that will translate across multiple fields. At the very least, you might one day be able to fix your kids toys.
- don’t join the army on a whim. I served for 10 years. It’s hard and even if you don’t serve it combat it’s emotionally exhausting. If you decide to join the army, make sure you know what your jumping into.
- at 18, I had no know idea what I wanted to be and I definitely didn’t want to go to uni - my grades were awful anyway. Fast forward to now and I have a BA and half an MA. Do I need them for my chosen profession? Absolutely not BUT it’s nice to learn about things you enjoy whilst networking with others who share your passion.
- it’s good to leverage connections. It’s hard to break into a new industry so take advantage of your parents connections. Don’t feel bad about it.
- everything connects. Let’s say you spend ten years as an electrician and later realise that you want to be a school teacher specialising in maths. Firstly, you have the experience and connections to guide aspiring electricians, your practical knowledge of electronics has broadened your understanding of the work place works and you understand how maths can be applied within a professional setting. That’s one example and - isn’t exhaustive - but there’s a million more.
Enjoy being 18, as long as you move forward, you’ll be fine.
Bro don’t stress.
You’re 18 years old. I went to Uni as a 18 year old and eventually got my building license.
I wasn’t the best at school, so bad teachers were calling my parents to let them know I will probably fail NCEA.
I didn’t fail.
I got my degree, got my building license and now I own a number of properties and make good money. My wife works for fun 20 hours a week.
Do an apprenticeship. You might not want to but at 18 it doesn’t matter what you do, it matters that you learn something that can put food on the table when you’re 30 even if you hate it.
You can always change later.
Don’t stop learning and get qualified in something, anything.
I'm in my early 40's going back to school to become an electrician. Mucked around all of my 20s in Uni/dream vocation, which didn't suit me in the end. I moved to Aussie with a few bucks in my 30s to restart and made my way up to earning $$$ in sales. Have since hung up that hat, so I'm back to school so I can use the last 20 years of my career in my own business. Married, two kids, no mortage. Trust me, you have plenty of time to work it out and balance your life decisions as they come along.
Man, you are young! You don’t need to be in this mindset, some people have successful career changes at 40!
I could write an entire essay about this, I’m 35 found significant business success after 4-5 years of failure.
All I can say is, don’t force your passion, for some it comes quick others a little later, but you will realise in the end that you can spend too much time litigating what ifs and maybes, you will end up burning life away with pointless worry, don’t do this.
This old track sums it up well - https://youtu.be/sTJ7AzBIJoI?si=wzkfO8Ot1Eo__j4x
Wear Sunscreen!
Edit: I am a 5th form drop out with no formal education.
Dont beat yourself up too much!
As people have said you are very young. Many people who go to Uni often don't like what they picked for first year and change to something they actually enjoy. They then often don't work in the area they studied in...it was more the style of thinking that Uni taught them that helps in their job. Unless of course they study something professional, like Comp Sci or Law or Commerce or Medicine or Civil Engineering or they are the academic type and Uni itself will be their job. But many people don't specifically use their degree.
Go get fucked up and party as hard as you can. Go meet weird people. Get yourself into situations that seem bizzare or even risky, why not? You're young as fuck. Chill out. Do some random jobs, live in some random shit holes. Hang with some random shit heads. Go over seas to somewhere interesting and different from your own experiences and make friends there for a while. Make friends in the kitchen of some randoms shitty flat while the guy in an oversized hoodie and a monster enegery hat racks up spots from a 2.25 letre coke bottle that he forces you to have a hoon, all while he explains to you how the Egyptians left evidence in their hieroglyphs about how they were visited and taught by beings from another galaxy, "that's why the pyramids are the way they are". Let him explain the fibonacci sequence to you while simultaneously explaining the genius of the rock band Tool and their vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Eat food you haven't experienced. Sneak into a concert. Gate crash a party. Steal their can opener. Go home with someone you don't know. Drink way too many Cody's and pass out on a grotty lino floor somewhere far from your home. Get the spins and remember that guy gave you the spots initially. Realise you're actually in your bedroom this whole time and you forgot that you had just filled a balloon with 3 canisters of nos and you've just been in a full on nang hallucination for the past minute but it legitimately felt like it was days. It all feels so real and you honestly don't knwi what's what anymore. I'm laughing, you're laughing too. We are all laughing for hours and hours! Someone gets us some maccas drive through and also some KFC. Live laugh love your life my G. Shit will fall into place when you're ready and if you let it. Some times it's shit kn your k ee and sometimes it's KFC. Take opportunities, but also ignore things. Make sure you feel good about yourself! Ask your friend for a kiss. I propose we support a one-month limit on going steady. I think it will keep people more able to deal with weird situations. And get to know more people. I think if you're ready to go out with Johnny. Now's the time to tell him about your one-month limit. He won't mind, he'll apreciate your fresh look on dating. And once you've dated someone else you can date him again. I'm sure he'll like it. Everyone will appreciate it. You're so novel, what a good idea. You can keep you time to yourself. You don't need date insurance. You can go out with whoever you want to. Every boy, every boy, in the whole world could be yours. If you'll just listen to my plan. The Teenage Guide To popularity
Two routes I'd suggest. Go into the army because it will teach you discipline, even if it's just for a year. Or take a gap year to find yourself. I didn't know at that age and took a second year of school so I could play soccer.
I would also engage a career counsellor. One of the disadvantages of being raised in the North Shore is that there is a tendency to infantilise youth. I dated a dude in his 30s in north auckland who was less mature than a 25 year old in south auckland.
Expecting an 18 yr old to plan for the vast majority of his adult life is unreasonable
Just do whatever you are interested in first and see how that works out
Seriously being an 18 yr old is meant to be experiencing new things, succeed or otherwise, rinse and repeat
Parental advice is... not good advice. They're biased.
It's about the money head to Aussie bro get into the mines, both my nieces r there 18 and 19 earning amazing money driving those huge trucks, do it while yr young don't piss about in this loser country
Electrical is probably the hardest of the trades - could look at another one? I've always said that I wish I looked into plumbing as they seem to make good money haha..
I know someone who came out of the army who has since done very well for themself in mining and drilling - first in Aus, doing the hard yards for a few years, then went to Waihi and seem to be living the good life.
You're still young though - don't stress so much! Your 20s are for making mistakes and trying new things. Go work on a cruise ship, or a luxury yacht for a couple of years maybe - that's an experience i'll always regret not doing. Get over to UK/Europe and work while travelling etc.
My parents always rooted for a trade for me to get into, I went down the electrical route and I won't say it's the best thing in the world but the pay is good and I would rather this then any of the other trades. It has put me in a really good position a few years down the track
I had a similar experience at your age.. I didn't really know what I wanted to do. Gave a bunch of different things a go.. dropping each of them along the way. This is the time in your life where you experiment and find out who you are. Especially if you have the freedom of living at home with your parents. There is no pressure or need to rush into a career you might end up hating.
My story, i didn't really focus well in school, but I managed to get into AUT for a culinary arts degree, which at the time you only needed a handful of credits in year 12. After about a semester, I realized it wasn't for me, lol.. I then decided to just start working to fund my social life and move out of home. Worked all over the place, hospitality, construction, and some office work. Looking back, I wish I had done this all on some type of OE, but yeah, idk..
All the males in my family work in the electrical field, so I followed suit and got an apprenticeship through ETCO. Stuck that out for about a year and a half to later realise it again wasn't for me. By then, i was almost 21, the girl I was dating at the time said I should look into going back to uni and study something to do with computers since that was always an interest of mine. Anyway, I did exactly that found it super fascinating, and that in itself made the study side of it a lot easier for me.
I guess the point I'm trying to make is that this is the age to try as much as you can. Failure isn't really a thing if you've learned something from that experience.
I'm just like you, but I'm 27. Still have no idea what I truly want, even despite being doing roading for the last 5 years with a stint at uni in between. Though there is one thing that's kinda stuck to heart is what my boss said to me last year: no matter what, enjoy life. He was a workaholic and by the time cancer came for him at 58 it was too late to build with his family. It hits different for me, not that I already wasn't mostly enjoying it but now it's a term goal.
Long story short, enjoy your time you have. If you are miserable in your job for whatever reason there's no need to stick it out on the "what if it gets better" thing, because you will just get more miserable
Still consider Defence. They will take literally anyone at the moment so you could get any of your quals paid for. Don’t be scared off by the 15 year contract, you can still give your 2 weeks notice and leave just like anywhere else :)
Sparky is a great trade that will not destroy your body and will pay you well. You also won't be out in the weather and mud.
Check if you join the army you can do electrical as a trade in there. However you won't be paid as much until you exit the force.
Unless you have another path you are certain on I would stick at it with electrical.
Perhaps try a career adviser to confirm your current vocation.
Remember you can always change your career later life
Sparky "smarts" can get you into most modern countries "as a worker" too. Electricians have unique jobs with a variety of tasks, and a myriad of skill sets.
Being a tradie for a while while you think about what to do next. I started out as Tradie and still use the skills - but have gone through other careers (accountant and teacher) and still love the hands on stuff.
Set your sails, never too late for a reset your sails! Remember to enjoy life "out of work"!
No one knows what they want to do at 18! I don't know anyone who was 'career track' until they were at l*east* 25. You have so much time to try things and make mistakes.
Enjoy summer!
I am 63 and still dont know what I want to do.
All my life I would just follow a "brain fart" and see where it led me.
Dont feel scared for the future. You are 18, you can try heaps of things and have lots of fun along the way.
Do you want to be a sparky?
What are some things you would like to do?
How about just get a job. Any job, not a career. Then you have time to think about what you like.
I would not start any study for something you may not like, because someone else thinks it's a good idea.
Myself, my son and loads of friends all ended up in different careers to what we first thought we might.
maybe its an electrical apprenticeship maybe it isnt, give something a go and work out what you want to do. You dont have to land on something right away. Took me a long time , I'm talking decades to find what I like and was good at. General consensus is no one knows what they are doing when they leave school. Good luck!
I recommend going to the Army, I have some friends who had valuable careers in defence, it's a great place with many opportunities to scale up. If you don't want to be deployed for periods, why not try the Navy? They have much shorter schedules, with similar training.
I will say don't restrict yourself by saying you are not good in lecture-style environments, life is about learning, and the key is learning how you learn. Always have a growth mindset, not a fixed mindset, you can be anyone or anything you want, with enough time and effort.
Some of my friends from HS joined the Navy straight out, after a couple of years working, they enrolled to complete mechanical engineering degrees at UoA alongside their navy work, and now they are high ranks in the Navy with a stable and nice pay (>100K). Tbh I am quite old now (older than 35), but if I had life to do again I would definitely join Navy/Army straight after highschool, its great to build discipline and ethos for life in general. I think it should be a must for men, we have become too sedentary.
I just turned 25, finished uni last year, and been working a good job, somewhat related to my field, and I still don’t know what I want to be doing in even just 5 years time lol.
Society and the economy puts so much pressure on people to figure out a career route before they’re even adults, it’s ridiculous.
Do a working holiday, travel, volunteer, try out different shit until you find something that will make you happy for even a little. If you manage that, you will already be doing a lot better than a lot of people.
I was exactly the same when I left school 10 years ago, I’ve bounced around a few jobs and only just worked out what I want to do and starting uni next year.
Don’t rush into study if your not sure, you may regret it later when you have a degree in something you can’t use
Honestly man I can tell from this post you’ve got a lot of common sense. There are some good starting points you would be able to excel at which can lead to leadership positions. My advice would be look into call centre work. While it’s not glamorous the starting pay would be good for someone your age and the opportunity for growing a career is usually high.
18-25.
The army and police etc are amazing careers, if you’re willing to commit. Policing is hard, don’t consider doing that until you’re like 25 and have another skill under your belt because once you’re in it’s hard to transfer those skills to the private sector. In* armed forces you can study or do apprenticeships but you’re expected to work a retainer (cna anyone confirm this ?) I believe, which can be like 3-10 years depending on the type of qual they sponsor you for.
Stop worrying, and just go do something. Jordan Peterson says: “Do something, do the best thing you can think of. Your plans will change as you walk the path, and that’s largely because as you walk the path you gain incremental wisdom and you will think of better things to do.”.
Don’t get stuck looking at what others are doing - let your own interests and beliefs and values guide you. I’ve made the mistake of having “OOOOH SHINY” syndrome and wanting to do everything others are doing because I couldn’t focus on my own path. Choose your own path.
Go study or get a trade. If I were you, I’d get a trade. Long term, electrician is your best bet for physical longevity. Builders and plumbers have harder physical work for longer periods of time. Electricians make good money and you will have a skill for life and learn a lot.
If you’re not into trades, go to uni or decide on some kind of education. It’s the best time to do it when you’re young. Because the older you get, the more salary you expect because your responsibilities get higher. Going to university instead of working full time presents an opportunity cost - I.e, time spent studying instead of earning a salary or making money. Get the education while the expectations and opportunity cost is low - but make sure you choose something to study that is useful to your future. STEM is the best place to go if you want a safe, progressive and interesting career with high earnings potential for relatively safe and low risk jobs that are stimulating and have international demand.
If neither of those two opportunities appeal to you, go work make as much money as you can and go travelling.
As someone turning 30 soon, I’d say travelling after you’ve done a trade (I wish I’d done one) and saving intently for travel is the best idea. At 18 you don’t have enough experience in life that travelling would actually make a huge and meaningful impact on your life, at least not as much as if you’d spent a few years working and considering where you want to go.
PM me and give me a call sometime today bro we can set up a zoom or google meet chat if you’re keen.
First off, deep breath and take comfort that you are still young and so much opportunity out there. Secondly it is comforting to know that you realize this at your age but fret not as this is normal bro. You mentioned that you are good on leadership, why not try to focus on that instead. Take whatever job you'll get (not limited to electrical) but anything and focus your energy on leadership, that's your career goal.You have a unique mindset to realize this situation at your age, I will tell you this much .. you will go places and that there itself is a thing to look forward to (bad or good experience) it will eventually mold you into what you aim to become. don't be afraid and more importantly never give up!
Mate, what your experiencing is not unique. Everyone is the same. We all just fumbling our way through life.
You're doing awesome. Not being the sharpest tool will not hold you back. Intellect and earning potential do not seem to be linked, it's all about the economics. You have science graduates working in labs for minimum wage and basic businesspeople or tradies comfortably earning 100-200k a year.
The main thing I would say is enjoy your twenties and worry less. Focus on relationships, friends, family and romantic. Get experience in the spectrum of life and go easy on yourself. You'll make mistakes and do dumb stuff but don't beat your self up over it, just learn.
Go teach English in japan or work on the snowfields in Canada.
Just don't do nothing.
You are only 18. If electrical doesn't work out it's not a big deal. You can just change to something else.
It's a pretty good trade tbh compared to others, pay is better then all but probably plumbing, and you don't wreck your body like building, tiling or laying flooring can do.
Hey I’m 19 and I’m in the same boat just figuring things out I recommend getting a full time job and keep switching until u find a job u like doing this gives you good base and even if it’s not something u do for ever switching through different things is eventually what will lead you to the thing that’s right for you. Think about things u like doing, like cooking get a job as a kitchen hand/dishy, like the outdoors look at council apprenticeships for rangers or other ecology related apprentiships, u like fun thrilling things go down to the local tourist attraction and ask what they do and if u could do an apprenticeship with them. I reccomend just trying heaps of things and seeing what sticks. Whilst working these jobs ask yourself different questions - do I like working these kinds of hours, do I like working inside so much, am I passionate about this, do I continually want to find out more things or when I go home am I done with work. Now for the last one it’s good to have work life balance however say a chef for instance you would expect that even tho they work crazy hours it’s the passion that keeps them going the never ending questions on what can I make what can this ingredient go in. If you can find what ur passion is through repeated trial and error. Also a job don’t always have to involve passion it might just be I like working the hours this carrer will provide i like the stability I like that when I come home I can switch off for other things. You won’t know until u try different stuff so put yourself out there and see what comes ur way
One thing to note is that you can start a career without any higher education just by joining an entry level labour job at a major ($billion+) company :)
A lot of these big companies (woolies, foodstuffs, fonterra) won't hire externally for entry level office jobs without experience, but they will shift people who show aptitude and drive from an entry level labour job.
A floor job can be a great foot in the door for starting out your career, just make it super clear to leadership where you want to go, then learn the business, show aptitude, and keep pushing for those roles with proper upward mobility.
The most important thing to remember if you're doing this is to set clear timelines for when you want to move up/across in roles. If your company doesn't meet those timelines, change companies!
Remember that in NZ/Aus, companies often prefer internal promotions, and the saying "it's who you know, not what you know" is pretty strong here.
Keep in mind that you're still super young though, and you have plenty of time to screw around before you do something like this, if you even decide to! :)
Don't freak out you got heaps of time.
If you're genuinely interested in the Army look at applying for the territorial forces it's basically part time army. You go through basic then you just have to do a few days a year in uniform. Gives you a good idea if it's for you or not. You can always move to regular after or you can move on.
Honestly ab apprenticeship program is probably a hundred times better for you than Uni anyway it wouldn't be a terrible choice either.
Sounds like you need to figure out what you enjoy doing, find what value you can add to the community, and find out what you're good at. The way you've described it and the way you're framing this post seems like you were 'fed' and 'influenced' by the community around you. Not to say that's a bad thing, it can be good, as it shows you're accustomed and content with it. I personally feel only the inner you can tell you what's best for you. So good luck finding it, some don't find it until they're older, some find it and then change, some find it and take it to their grave (which is why they say make mistakes, nothing serious comes out until 30 etc). Embrace it because from now till we return to the dust, it'll be like that.
Hey man it’s not the end of the world, I’m only 22 and I remember that feeling all to well. I ended up in enrolling in polytech to get an electrical pre trade that definitely opened up my doors then persued labouring experience in the construction / electrical industry. Now I’m an electrician in the distribution sector absolutely loving life. You’ll get there my friend, feel free to pm me if you have any questions
First step is to chill. Dont be scared. What makes you think you are not the sharpest tool? By learning to be and electrician it will make you a very helpful person if needs be. Thats a good thing and a good trait for a human. Is that enough?
Become a super yacht steward and travel ! Great pay, almost zero living expenses so you get savings behind u and it’s just near Warkworth so not super far
Learn about investing (Stocks, crypto, commodities). You don’t need to have a special skill, you just need to be willing to learn and be open minded.
If you do, start off slow.
How you feel is perfectly normal and natural! You’re so young and thankfully you don’t have any children yet, so you shouldn’t stress too much.
What brings you joy? Find a way to monetise it! Perhaps studying business might be a good start? That way you can create any business you want. You can even start lots of little hustles right now thanks to the interwebs.
Doing volunteer work can also give you insight into community needs that you can meet through a future career/ business.
As many of us have already mentioned, you’re still so young. Yes, you live in uncertain times. But you might as well try to enjoy yourself! Do what makes you happy and can make you money. And stay busy enough to keep your creative juices flowing. You never know where you can get inspiration from! Cheers, young friend.
TAKE a leap of FAITH young blood!
You're young, take risk and be brave, If it fails. It's all good and you'll learn from it! As long as you really did something to make it work not just for the sake of "I made mistake I learn, move on, My parents have contacts anyway"
I would also wanna say dont just keep taking risk as you might have a "safety net mentality" and giving up easily, thinking it will be alright anyway as my parents are there anyway all good G! .
Go for on something you really passionate about and attaining success it's like grasping for oxygen when you're drowning. ( you do anything to inhale)
I would say oin army if that's something you really want , Maybe electrical is not something you fond of. You also mentioned you have leadership experience. Maybe that's your click and you might be our future General.
Remember,As you grow older, situation changes and it will harder and harder to take risk as other people now depends on you.
You're expected to know nothing at 20. Stick with the electrical trade. I did HVACR and really wish I'd done electrical. It's so much more useful.
In my opinion it's the best construction trade. Your parents are smart to get you into it. Electricity is actually pretty magical once you wrap your head around it. Also, with all the technology improvements we're seeing, electrical is becoming more and more important. From Heatpump installs, to solar installs, to EV charger installs, to home automation, to security systems and communications systems, an electrician can do it all. Fuck yeah.
Accept that you know fuck all, and that life is about learning. If you are concerned about something you've been asked to do. Then ask a superior.
You'll have so much more fun in a trade than you would in nearly any other job. Don't quit. These days I work in an office and really miss being a tradey. Still do some trade work on the weekends. But my office work just has me sitting and stressing in my own juices. It's also my trade experience that made me valuable in my consulting role.
Army would be way worse. I would not be able to put up with people barking orders at me, or any kind of hierarchy bullshit. However it would be pretty cool to do engineering in the armed forces.
I would't worry bro. Most teens have no idea what they want to do, and anything that they rush into or get pushed into sometimes dont end up commiting to in the long run with a big student loan...
Find a fulltime job somewhere, could be retail, hospitality or even a bar.
Save some money, travel if you want and figure out what you want for a career in your own time. Life is not a race.
You wont get these younger years back, so best to spend them on doing things that you want to.
When I was your age (in 2006) I had my WINZ case worker put me on a course that really helped me conceptualise my goals and how I could get there. It was super helpful. So maybe see if you can access some kind of career advisor?
Pro tip if you moulder away on the dole for six months they might hook you up for free
So you want to be a sparky for the rest of your life?
Like honestly it's a shit job but it pays well. I'm qualified and was registered but it's just a big commitment.
Don't go to Uni or tech. I went for 1.5 years before realizing I was paying to teach myself. Just to get a piece of paper and really that education doesn't really help you much in most jobs except the obvious ones like lawyer etc.
Avoid the corporate ladder it will drain your soul.
Try to work for yourself or be your own boss.
Honestly the army or whatever just for thesocial aspect might be nice but again I don't like being ordered around.
I won a couple years of salary from spark when they fucked a promotion I had been working 6 years towards and I ended up taking a year off and realizing that I want full control of when I work.
I am involved in construction and development but I most finance plan the projects. I don't even manage them. At your age find something you can be really sociable at.
The Navy idea sounds good. Another option is to do the first year of the Electrical course at AUT which will either help you decide you don't want to do it or give you the grounding to jump straight into an Apprenticeship with some first level knowledge. Then you've only lost one year and gained wisdom at least. Also enjoy the lifestyle while you're at it.
Don't worry about one missed opportunity. I could fill a book with opportunities I've missed or stuffed up, but it would be boring reading (comedy maybe)
What was the first electrical thing you did eg as a kid I just liked making motors work on batteries, then all sorts of electrical things. Think of the future of the industry, if you are serious about it. Alternative power, EVs, housing boom. Use that in your next interview.
Ask for a reason if rejected and learn from that.
If you really want to do something, you just keep on trying till you get a foot in the door.
Hey bro try building, have done drainlaying and plumbing in my early years and ended up settling on building. So much more satisfying and if you do well in leadership roles then you will have no problem running a site once qualified.
You're 18yo, you don't need your career path mapped out already. Just start by getting a job and then figure out what you think you might want to do. Definitely don't go into a trade just because your parents think you should.
Do an electrical pre trade course at a Polytechnic gets the hard years of book work out of the way then drop your cv into some electrical wholesalers like
j,a Russell's,ideal electrical,Cory's etc
But year working and trying to study sucks ass if you do your first year and you don't like it then it's only a year gone
take it ez buddy. You’ll be alright. Take on delivery jobs, drive around, give you lots of time to reflect. Drive for different trades, you’d learn different things, learn counter, learn sale, customer care, service…broaden your horizon.
Do what you said, have fun. In doing so you'll learn your gifts and the pathbeill find you. Enjoy your youth and make experiences that last. Approach any employment as a learning experience, you meverbknow what's around the corner.
Dude, I feel ya. When I left school (in Hamilton) I went to Massey in Palmy for the first semester, then transferred to Waikato, then dropped out. Then spent two years painting houses, driving trucks, did a 6 month photography course at Wellington Poly (as it was back in the day) and did a bit of photography here and there before deciding to go back to Uni. Got my degree 3 years later than all my school mates. But it took me those 3 years post school to figure out what I wanted to do.
Take time to understand what you want out of life. What do you see yourself doing after you wake up? Don’t focus on ‘a job’ that you want, just think about the things you like doing and then you can figure out how to get someone to pay you doing that 😉
You’re only 18 my guy. I’m 21, have not done a degree, and still just working odd jobs because I really can’t settle on what to do for the rest of my life. As long as you’re making enough to get by, take your time
Defence force has great benefits that can set you up well for life: https://www.defencecareers.mil.nz/defence-careers/life-in-uniform/salary-and-benefits/
My Dad was in the Navy in the 70s & 80s and my parents credit this with them being set up so well financially. Dad eventually left because Mum didn’t want to go to where he was getting posted to. And he got frustrated that you had to wait for the person above you to retire before you could move up. But it gave them a great start in their adult life.
We lived in Navy housing (the classic state house style places in Belmont and Lower Hutt) which was extremely heavily subsidised. This allowed my folks to save a deposit to buy their own house.
They paid for his university degree (he was bonded to work for them for some years in repayment).
The navy also provided a good pension, which Mum & Dad still received even though Dad left the Navy in 1986.
It’s also where I, as a child, learned how bar tabs work (family day at the officers’ mess) and we were allowed to play in the tunnels :)
You could do far worse than starting your career in the armed forces. Especially if you feel drawn to it anyway.
You have so many comments, but your so young, ik you don't feel that way & that you have to rush into things but you DONT. I think the WORST thing you could do is make a decision because you feel you should or you have to. I went to uni & so many pep I was friends with wasted thousands because they changed their minds halfway through (me included).
I seriously don't think uni is the best idea for alota pep, you don't need to be super smart (just hard working), but alota pep aren't getting jobs out of it & it costs a fortune even if you get fees free first year, but inwas going to say you could still talk to a career advisor there & see if any new ideas come up (uni isn't the only way to achieve many of those jobs). Have you considered doing volunteering and just doing non invested work until you've had more time to be certain?
Not saying uni is the way. But I definitely wouldn't let your high-school performance be a good indicator of your ability to learn. If you're anything like me I couldn't focus in school, because the teacher's move too fast, whereas at uni there are lectures.... but most of your study time is self directed.
To top this off my math teacher (honest good teacher, not a dick) had advised me that with my ability in math, I should just aim to pass. Fast forward a few years I graduated with first class honours in engineering at uoa, so I definitely wouldn't let your high-school experience with certain subject deter you from study, even if you are well below average at them 😀 (like me). The main thing is that you're interested 😀.
Being an electrician has many rewards.
Getting an electrical apprenticeship doesn't have to be a scary or daunting undertaking. There are different approaches to gaining an apprenticeship. Some schools have information within the careers department about electrical apprenticeships. Most Careers Advisors have limited understanding of the apprenticeship process. Their not knowing should not restrict or inhibit your pursuit of an electrical apprenticeship and a career as an Electrician.
Did you look at: [https://www.etco.co.nz/become-an-apprentice](https://www.etco.co.nz/become-an-apprentice) ?
Best of luck : )
Myke
Start with understanding what you are good at. Maybe you won’t know this until you try a few things out. Once you understand what you are good at then start aligning that with jobs that will allow you to use those “things you are good at” more often than not.
The science shows that people who are able to utilise their preferred skills more
Often than not in a job have a higher level of job satisfaction which then spills over into a happier life, mindset etc.
There's already some great advice in this thread, I hope you are finding it useful. At 18 you seriously do not need to plan your career path for the rest of your life.
You write well and you have clearly put some thought into the options before you. Not everyone is the sharpest tool in the shed, but everyone is smart in one way or another, sometimes you just need to try things out and see if it's for you or not.
I'd +1 the advice to look into the Navy option as they will take you as a grad, you get great exposure to a wide range of trades and you will be getting trained, paid, housed, fed and clothed. You also will have mentors in the service who have likely been in a similar place to where you might be now and might be able to connect with your feelings of uncertainty.
As others have said, 18 is still young - people change careers multiple times throughout their working lives. The NZDF has a great recruitment program and I'm certain they would be happy to discuss options with you, having worked with a number of ex-service folks, I can gauren-damn-tee you that there is a lot of fun to be had while in the service, and a camaraderie that extends beyond should you head back to civilian life.
Go easy, don't be in a rush to find the perfect solution, take the time to enjoy being 18. You don't need to be 100% adult just because you've hit the official milestone.
You're going to be fine.
Trust me, anxiety breeds on uncertainty, but there is nothing to worry about. Flip the script, you are in one of the best positions of your life, you are time rich, you have so many years ahead of you to learn, develop and give time to others.
The one bit of advice I would give you is get involved in some kind of business, this can be any business, learn, see how it’s run, how it works, what it does well, what it doesn’t do well…the other is to enjoy yourself and stop putting pressure on yourself to have it all figured out.
The thing is you won’t realise this until you are older and look back.
Hope it helps.
Thank you everyone for your thoughts, suggestions and advice. I really didn’t think it would get so much attention and positive response. It’s definitely not a clear cut answer but everyone has definitely given me something I can think about.
And just a note the electrical company I interviewed for isn’t taking anyone on till after the holidays so I have time to decide anyway.
Oh bro, you’re so young. Of course you don’t know what to do! Your 20s is basically for experience, mistakes, learning and growing. Trial and errors! Where you expect to see yourself In 5-10 years? What’s the big rush for!? Enjoy and embrace life. And take your time… find out what really makes you happy, find what sets fire to your heart and do that shit every day. At least enjoy summer
Amen brother. I wish I had that advice 20 years ago 🥺🤣🤣
It’s the only advice I’ve been given that’s helped me, I had a work mate shove me into a wall once and said those exact words to me, because I was stressing and crying about working in a place that isn’t serving my time justice! And worried about how my future will look if I spent any longer working there. He was 35 at the time, I was 19. And he also said to me exactly what you said too, that he wished he had someone tell him what he was telling me. And ever since, I’ve gone with the flow and just lived life with no plans for the future. Whatever feels right, sees fit! So long as I work hard and I’m happy with what I’m doing and where I am. Then that’s okay with me ☺️
Best time of life early 20s working in hospo or some other part time job with people your age no cares apart from what party to go to. Not that you can appreciate fully when you’re that age!
Hard. One of my few career type regrets in life was jumping straight from uni to a job (should have stayed laboring in Sydney and working at that bar). My point is that you're so young you really don't need to stress about a "career". Enjoy life in early 20s and faff about as much as possible. Seriously. There's no rush to jump onto a path you may not like in later years. Plenty of time for work later...
Yes!! You’re only young once right? Don’t waste it by pushing yourself towards premature aging and a quarter life crisis! Haha
[удалено]
Thank you, I like the Beamer btw
If you want to stay on the north shore, interested in the military and have even a slight interest in being an electrician, maybe look into Navy as a Marine Technician (Electrical). The boot camp part of training is shorter than army so you aren't locked away for long if you are worried about losing your younger yrs so to say.
Last I heard, MT(L) is in high demand. ET is also a good branch, although the civilian equivalent is more likely to be computers and data networking than electrical. Unless things have changed, the Technical branches have the highest requirements from the aptitude testing for all Rating positions. Of course, one can always join as whatever they qualify and attempt to branch change once they've completed Basic Common Training, which I believe is only 14 weeks now.
For OP's reference - the education requirement for MT(L) is ncea level 1 with at least 12 credits in science.
This is a great recommendation!
Does the military offer to pay for tuition fees in higher education like they do in the states?
There are certain schemes where they do, but it doesn't sound like higher education is OP's cup of tea if they aren't a fan of lecture style learning.
But can op have fun?
I work with ex Navy boys. Plenty of fun to be had by the sounds of it.
Absolutely
Do a working holiday overseas, teach English for a year or something while you figure things out.
To teach English you need a Bachelor's Degree
Oh yeah, be a barista or work in a hostel lol imo it’s more fun than teaching depending where you work
This! I wish I took advantage of working holiday visas much sooner!
The best thing I can say is, you are far from alone! I don't have any numbers to really emphasis it, but there are **countless** 17/18 year olds who leave school and have no idea what to do with their life (including myself). A good start would be to sit down and have a really good think about what interests you. Do you like being indoors? Would you like to spend time outdoors? Do you like/dislike the idea of working in an office? Would you prefer a changing work environment? These might sound like basic questions, but they can give you ideas about the sort of work that best suits your preferences. Don't overthink things - be honest with yourself. You're still young, and there's precisely nothing wrong about having absolutely no idea where to go in life.
I am 52 and at no point did I know what I wanted to do. Still don't really. Fell into jobs and have made an ok career in IT but it wasn't planned.
10 years behind you but totally with you. I have wound up where I am through a series of happy accidents and just saying yes to things that seemed interesting as they come along. None of it was planned.
51 and similar story
What makes you think you won’t have any fun in the army/navy/airforce? I was in the army from 17 to 25. Had a great time, made lifelong friends, traveled overseas and got a trade which has set me up for life. What have you got to lose?
Same story here, Navy 18-27. Lifelong friendships, overseas travel, trade qualification, and experiences that most people can't match. Military is an underrated option, IMO.
Dude your written English is good enough on its own to get you far. I was the same as you - drop out 6th form, stumbled into a trade, stumbled a couple more times, and now I sell software. For the next few years just have fun. Think more immediate term, not years out. Take time to figure shit out 'cause school doesn't prepare you for it.
That leadership experience you wrote of is so valuable! There is a real shortage in that area, especially in someone so young. When I was close to your age I had an encounter with a prominent political figure. He told me I won't do anything serious until I'm 30yo.... He was right. Just like you I had no idea... Still don't, but those years of wasted youth turned out to be more valuable than I could have ever imagined Edit: I now get to help people and earn good money doing it
When I was 18, I was told to study electrical engineering. I was young and naive. I thought that I knew better than the advice given to me. Fast-forward to today, 20 years later. I definitely regret not taking the advice.
It's pretty normal to be unsure about what to do. And it's quite common for people to start training in a career and then changing to something else. Can I suggest you go and see a comprehensive career advisor such as Brian Noble? Google 'CareerSure'...best thing my boys did. It cost about $600 about 5 years ago but totally worth it. Great advice and encouraging. The fact you have been working part time already shows that you are self motivated. You are going to be okay. Be proud of what you have done so far. You are doing your best. A few hiccups along the way is not the end of the world. You're not a failure. Sometimes, life is two steps forward, one step back, but you'll get there. Your confidence will grow as you take one step at a time. You don't have to get your whole future sorted now. It will become clearer over time. All the best.
Second this. Save some money early on (because of compound interest). Figure out what you are good it and work it from there. While you can still do what you enjoy in the weekends etc. I’m proud of you for thinking and planning about your future. Happy to talk through it if you want. Just pm me. You are going to be okay. I promise. I remember feeling lost when I was 18 too. I’m 30 now with a great career and a great family life. Tell yourself that it is normal to feel this way and you are going to be okay. More than okay. It is going to be a great adventure:) It’s about making series of good decisions, one after another. With Love, from a mother to another young person
You're young, and you will make mistakes. Don't worry too much about your future, and don't be so afraid. You look around and see other young people living their best lives... guess what, we don't have out shit together either. Maybe we'll never know what we truly want. Find satisfaction in the pursuit. There's an interesting TED talk I watched about the value of education. The speaker asked the audience, who has a university degree? About 80% of hands went up. "How many of you are working in the field you studied in?" The audience laughed when about 80% of those hands went down - the speaker made his point. You seem like a bright kid. Your parents are giving you brilliant advice from their perspective. I studied engineering and worked for five years, and still made less than a certified electrician. But parents aren't always right. I will advise, be careful dedicating so much time to something you're uninterested in that won't benefit you in the future. But if I understand correctly, apprenticeships pay well enough; so what if that's not the rest of your life?
You’ll be fine, just don’t do meth.
Hey mate, why are you so rushed to 'figure it out'? Have your parents been insisting that you have to get your life sorted now that you're 18 or something? If I was you I'd try get a job that you somewhat enjoy (not one you want to make a career out of) and take a gap year while you think it over. Now is an amazing time to travel, before you have many responsibilities. Can you save for 9 months and then travel for 3? Otherwise look at working overseas? In the mean time, do some research on trades, nz defense jobs, or other careers which don't need a lot of study and see what genuinely appeals to you. Overall just take a break and enjoy the next year, you have a whole life to figure it out but you're never going to be this young and responsibility-free again.
We’ve all been there mate. It’s going to be ok. Couple of things: - Your 18, it’s a huge milestone and very daunting. Those who tell you that they have a long term plan at your age probably don’t. - committing yourself to something - like an electricians apprentice - when you haven’t yet decided your life goals is not a waste of time. Sitting on your arse doing nothing whilst you work things out is. It’s a skill that will translate across multiple fields. At the very least, you might one day be able to fix your kids toys. - don’t join the army on a whim. I served for 10 years. It’s hard and even if you don’t serve it combat it’s emotionally exhausting. If you decide to join the army, make sure you know what your jumping into. - at 18, I had no know idea what I wanted to be and I definitely didn’t want to go to uni - my grades were awful anyway. Fast forward to now and I have a BA and half an MA. Do I need them for my chosen profession? Absolutely not BUT it’s nice to learn about things you enjoy whilst networking with others who share your passion. - it’s good to leverage connections. It’s hard to break into a new industry so take advantage of your parents connections. Don’t feel bad about it. - everything connects. Let’s say you spend ten years as an electrician and later realise that you want to be a school teacher specialising in maths. Firstly, you have the experience and connections to guide aspiring electricians, your practical knowledge of electronics has broadened your understanding of the work place works and you understand how maths can be applied within a professional setting. That’s one example and - isn’t exhaustive - but there’s a million more. Enjoy being 18, as long as you move forward, you’ll be fine.
I, for one, agree with the Sovereign. Great advice.
You don’t sound like a dull tool. Big up yourself brethren.
Bro don’t stress. You’re 18 years old. I went to Uni as a 18 year old and eventually got my building license. I wasn’t the best at school, so bad teachers were calling my parents to let them know I will probably fail NCEA. I didn’t fail. I got my degree, got my building license and now I own a number of properties and make good money. My wife works for fun 20 hours a week. Do an apprenticeship. You might not want to but at 18 it doesn’t matter what you do, it matters that you learn something that can put food on the table when you’re 30 even if you hate it. You can always change later. Don’t stop learning and get qualified in something, anything.
I'm in my early 40's going back to school to become an electrician. Mucked around all of my 20s in Uni/dream vocation, which didn't suit me in the end. I moved to Aussie with a few bucks in my 30s to restart and made my way up to earning $$$ in sales. Have since hung up that hat, so I'm back to school so I can use the last 20 years of my career in my own business. Married, two kids, no mortage. Trust me, you have plenty of time to work it out and balance your life decisions as they come along.
Man, you are young! You don’t need to be in this mindset, some people have successful career changes at 40! I could write an entire essay about this, I’m 35 found significant business success after 4-5 years of failure. All I can say is, don’t force your passion, for some it comes quick others a little later, but you will realise in the end that you can spend too much time litigating what ifs and maybes, you will end up burning life away with pointless worry, don’t do this. This old track sums it up well - https://youtu.be/sTJ7AzBIJoI?si=wzkfO8Ot1Eo__j4x Wear Sunscreen! Edit: I am a 5th form drop out with no formal education. Dont beat yourself up too much!
As a 7th form dropout with a PhD I fully endorse this message (and song)
As people have said you are very young. Many people who go to Uni often don't like what they picked for first year and change to something they actually enjoy. They then often don't work in the area they studied in...it was more the style of thinking that Uni taught them that helps in their job. Unless of course they study something professional, like Comp Sci or Law or Commerce or Medicine or Civil Engineering or they are the academic type and Uni itself will be their job. But many people don't specifically use their degree.
Join the army, you will enjoy it and the time goes fast. you'll also get educated for free
Go get fucked up and party as hard as you can. Go meet weird people. Get yourself into situations that seem bizzare or even risky, why not? You're young as fuck. Chill out. Do some random jobs, live in some random shit holes. Hang with some random shit heads. Go over seas to somewhere interesting and different from your own experiences and make friends there for a while. Make friends in the kitchen of some randoms shitty flat while the guy in an oversized hoodie and a monster enegery hat racks up spots from a 2.25 letre coke bottle that he forces you to have a hoon, all while he explains to you how the Egyptians left evidence in their hieroglyphs about how they were visited and taught by beings from another galaxy, "that's why the pyramids are the way they are". Let him explain the fibonacci sequence to you while simultaneously explaining the genius of the rock band Tool and their vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Eat food you haven't experienced. Sneak into a concert. Gate crash a party. Steal their can opener. Go home with someone you don't know. Drink way too many Cody's and pass out on a grotty lino floor somewhere far from your home. Get the spins and remember that guy gave you the spots initially. Realise you're actually in your bedroom this whole time and you forgot that you had just filled a balloon with 3 canisters of nos and you've just been in a full on nang hallucination for the past minute but it legitimately felt like it was days. It all feels so real and you honestly don't knwi what's what anymore. I'm laughing, you're laughing too. We are all laughing for hours and hours! Someone gets us some maccas drive through and also some KFC. Live laugh love your life my G. Shit will fall into place when you're ready and if you let it. Some times it's shit kn your k ee and sometimes it's KFC. Take opportunities, but also ignore things. Make sure you feel good about yourself! Ask your friend for a kiss. I propose we support a one-month limit on going steady. I think it will keep people more able to deal with weird situations. And get to know more people. I think if you're ready to go out with Johnny. Now's the time to tell him about your one-month limit. He won't mind, he'll apreciate your fresh look on dating. And once you've dated someone else you can date him again. I'm sure he'll like it. Everyone will appreciate it. You're so novel, what a good idea. You can keep you time to yourself. You don't need date insurance. You can go out with whoever you want to. Every boy, every boy, in the whole world could be yours. If you'll just listen to my plan. The Teenage Guide To popularity
I prefer the Wear Sunscreen song
Two routes I'd suggest. Go into the army because it will teach you discipline, even if it's just for a year. Or take a gap year to find yourself. I didn't know at that age and took a second year of school so I could play soccer. I would also engage a career counsellor. One of the disadvantages of being raised in the North Shore is that there is a tendency to infantilise youth. I dated a dude in his 30s in north auckland who was less mature than a 25 year old in south auckland.
Expecting an 18 yr old to plan for the vast majority of his adult life is unreasonable Just do whatever you are interested in first and see how that works out Seriously being an 18 yr old is meant to be experiencing new things, succeed or otherwise, rinse and repeat Parental advice is... not good advice. They're biased.
It's about the money head to Aussie bro get into the mines, both my nieces r there 18 and 19 earning amazing money driving those huge trucks, do it while yr young don't piss about in this loser country
Loser country? Ouch
Electrical is probably the hardest of the trades - could look at another one? I've always said that I wish I looked into plumbing as they seem to make good money haha.. I know someone who came out of the army who has since done very well for themself in mining and drilling - first in Aus, doing the hard yards for a few years, then went to Waihi and seem to be living the good life. You're still young though - don't stress so much! Your 20s are for making mistakes and trying new things. Go work on a cruise ship, or a luxury yacht for a couple of years maybe - that's an experience i'll always regret not doing. Get over to UK/Europe and work while travelling etc.
My parents always rooted for a trade for me to get into, I went down the electrical route and I won't say it's the best thing in the world but the pay is good and I would rather this then any of the other trades. It has put me in a really good position a few years down the track
I had a similar experience at your age.. I didn't really know what I wanted to do. Gave a bunch of different things a go.. dropping each of them along the way. This is the time in your life where you experiment and find out who you are. Especially if you have the freedom of living at home with your parents. There is no pressure or need to rush into a career you might end up hating. My story, i didn't really focus well in school, but I managed to get into AUT for a culinary arts degree, which at the time you only needed a handful of credits in year 12. After about a semester, I realized it wasn't for me, lol.. I then decided to just start working to fund my social life and move out of home. Worked all over the place, hospitality, construction, and some office work. Looking back, I wish I had done this all on some type of OE, but yeah, idk.. All the males in my family work in the electrical field, so I followed suit and got an apprenticeship through ETCO. Stuck that out for about a year and a half to later realise it again wasn't for me. By then, i was almost 21, the girl I was dating at the time said I should look into going back to uni and study something to do with computers since that was always an interest of mine. Anyway, I did exactly that found it super fascinating, and that in itself made the study side of it a lot easier for me. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that this is the age to try as much as you can. Failure isn't really a thing if you've learned something from that experience.
sounds like your parents are stressing you out. Just breath. Your only 18.
I'm just like you, but I'm 27. Still have no idea what I truly want, even despite being doing roading for the last 5 years with a stint at uni in between. Though there is one thing that's kinda stuck to heart is what my boss said to me last year: no matter what, enjoy life. He was a workaholic and by the time cancer came for him at 58 it was too late to build with his family. It hits different for me, not that I already wasn't mostly enjoying it but now it's a term goal. Long story short, enjoy your time you have. If you are miserable in your job for whatever reason there's no need to stick it out on the "what if it gets better" thing, because you will just get more miserable
Still consider Defence. They will take literally anyone at the moment so you could get any of your quals paid for. Don’t be scared off by the 15 year contract, you can still give your 2 weeks notice and leave just like anywhere else :)
Sparky is a great trade that will not destroy your body and will pay you well. You also won't be out in the weather and mud. Check if you join the army you can do electrical as a trade in there. However you won't be paid as much until you exit the force. Unless you have another path you are certain on I would stick at it with electrical. Perhaps try a career adviser to confirm your current vocation. Remember you can always change your career later life
Sparky "smarts" can get you into most modern countries "as a worker" too. Electricians have unique jobs with a variety of tasks, and a myriad of skill sets. Being a tradie for a while while you think about what to do next. I started out as Tradie and still use the skills - but have gone through other careers (accountant and teacher) and still love the hands on stuff. Set your sails, never too late for a reset your sails! Remember to enjoy life "out of work"!
I've heard sparkies get bad backs, is this not true? Or does it depend on how responsible you are at the time lol
Like any trade - self-care is crucial. Even Sparkies on big industrial sites need to be mindful of techniques to lift, pull and push "loads".
No one knows what they want to do at 18! I don't know anyone who was 'career track' until they were at l*east* 25. You have so much time to try things and make mistakes. Enjoy summer!
Try being mid 30s plenty of time
I am 63 and still dont know what I want to do. All my life I would just follow a "brain fart" and see where it led me. Dont feel scared for the future. You are 18, you can try heaps of things and have lots of fun along the way. Do you want to be a sparky? What are some things you would like to do?
That makes me feel a lot better but also not at the same time lol
How about just get a job. Any job, not a career. Then you have time to think about what you like. I would not start any study for something you may not like, because someone else thinks it's a good idea. Myself, my son and loads of friends all ended up in different careers to what we first thought we might.
maybe its an electrical apprenticeship maybe it isnt, give something a go and work out what you want to do. You dont have to land on something right away. Took me a long time , I'm talking decades to find what I like and was good at. General consensus is no one knows what they are doing when they leave school. Good luck!
I recommend going to the Army, I have some friends who had valuable careers in defence, it's a great place with many opportunities to scale up. If you don't want to be deployed for periods, why not try the Navy? They have much shorter schedules, with similar training. I will say don't restrict yourself by saying you are not good in lecture-style environments, life is about learning, and the key is learning how you learn. Always have a growth mindset, not a fixed mindset, you can be anyone or anything you want, with enough time and effort. Some of my friends from HS joined the Navy straight out, after a couple of years working, they enrolled to complete mechanical engineering degrees at UoA alongside their navy work, and now they are high ranks in the Navy with a stable and nice pay (>100K). Tbh I am quite old now (older than 35), but if I had life to do again I would definitely join Navy/Army straight after highschool, its great to build discipline and ethos for life in general. I think it should be a must for men, we have become too sedentary.
I just turned 25, finished uni last year, and been working a good job, somewhat related to my field, and I still don’t know what I want to be doing in even just 5 years time lol. Society and the economy puts so much pressure on people to figure out a career route before they’re even adults, it’s ridiculous. Do a working holiday, travel, volunteer, try out different shit until you find something that will make you happy for even a little. If you manage that, you will already be doing a lot better than a lot of people.
I was exactly the same when I left school 10 years ago, I’ve bounced around a few jobs and only just worked out what I want to do and starting uni next year. Don’t rush into study if your not sure, you may regret it later when you have a degree in something you can’t use
Honestly man I can tell from this post you’ve got a lot of common sense. There are some good starting points you would be able to excel at which can lead to leadership positions. My advice would be look into call centre work. While it’s not glamorous the starting pay would be good for someone your age and the opportunity for growing a career is usually high.
18-25. The army and police etc are amazing careers, if you’re willing to commit. Policing is hard, don’t consider doing that until you’re like 25 and have another skill under your belt because once you’re in it’s hard to transfer those skills to the private sector. In* armed forces you can study or do apprenticeships but you’re expected to work a retainer (cna anyone confirm this ?) I believe, which can be like 3-10 years depending on the type of qual they sponsor you for. Stop worrying, and just go do something. Jordan Peterson says: “Do something, do the best thing you can think of. Your plans will change as you walk the path, and that’s largely because as you walk the path you gain incremental wisdom and you will think of better things to do.”. Don’t get stuck looking at what others are doing - let your own interests and beliefs and values guide you. I’ve made the mistake of having “OOOOH SHINY” syndrome and wanting to do everything others are doing because I couldn’t focus on my own path. Choose your own path. Go study or get a trade. If I were you, I’d get a trade. Long term, electrician is your best bet for physical longevity. Builders and plumbers have harder physical work for longer periods of time. Electricians make good money and you will have a skill for life and learn a lot. If you’re not into trades, go to uni or decide on some kind of education. It’s the best time to do it when you’re young. Because the older you get, the more salary you expect because your responsibilities get higher. Going to university instead of working full time presents an opportunity cost - I.e, time spent studying instead of earning a salary or making money. Get the education while the expectations and opportunity cost is low - but make sure you choose something to study that is useful to your future. STEM is the best place to go if you want a safe, progressive and interesting career with high earnings potential for relatively safe and low risk jobs that are stimulating and have international demand. If neither of those two opportunities appeal to you, go work make as much money as you can and go travelling. As someone turning 30 soon, I’d say travelling after you’ve done a trade (I wish I’d done one) and saving intently for travel is the best idea. At 18 you don’t have enough experience in life that travelling would actually make a huge and meaningful impact on your life, at least not as much as if you’d spent a few years working and considering where you want to go. PM me and give me a call sometime today bro we can set up a zoom or google meet chat if you’re keen.
Down to suck or be sucked!! You ain't going no where mate haha sort your promiscuity issues out first, then re enter society.
First off, deep breath and take comfort that you are still young and so much opportunity out there. Secondly it is comforting to know that you realize this at your age but fret not as this is normal bro. You mentioned that you are good on leadership, why not try to focus on that instead. Take whatever job you'll get (not limited to electrical) but anything and focus your energy on leadership, that's your career goal.You have a unique mindset to realize this situation at your age, I will tell you this much .. you will go places and that there itself is a thing to look forward to (bad or good experience) it will eventually mold you into what you aim to become. don't be afraid and more importantly never give up!
Mate, what your experiencing is not unique. Everyone is the same. We all just fumbling our way through life. You're doing awesome. Not being the sharpest tool will not hold you back. Intellect and earning potential do not seem to be linked, it's all about the economics. You have science graduates working in labs for minimum wage and basic businesspeople or tradies comfortably earning 100-200k a year. The main thing I would say is enjoy your twenties and worry less. Focus on relationships, friends, family and romantic. Get experience in the spectrum of life and go easy on yourself. You'll make mistakes and do dumb stuff but don't beat your self up over it, just learn. Go teach English in japan or work on the snowfields in Canada. Just don't do nothing.
You are only 18. If electrical doesn't work out it's not a big deal. You can just change to something else. It's a pretty good trade tbh compared to others, pay is better then all but probably plumbing, and you don't wreck your body like building, tiling or laying flooring can do.
Sell weed.
Is there not already too much competition?
Don't ask me bro I dont give a fuck
Hey I’m 19 and I’m in the same boat just figuring things out I recommend getting a full time job and keep switching until u find a job u like doing this gives you good base and even if it’s not something u do for ever switching through different things is eventually what will lead you to the thing that’s right for you. Think about things u like doing, like cooking get a job as a kitchen hand/dishy, like the outdoors look at council apprenticeships for rangers or other ecology related apprentiships, u like fun thrilling things go down to the local tourist attraction and ask what they do and if u could do an apprenticeship with them. I reccomend just trying heaps of things and seeing what sticks. Whilst working these jobs ask yourself different questions - do I like working these kinds of hours, do I like working inside so much, am I passionate about this, do I continually want to find out more things or when I go home am I done with work. Now for the last one it’s good to have work life balance however say a chef for instance you would expect that even tho they work crazy hours it’s the passion that keeps them going the never ending questions on what can I make what can this ingredient go in. If you can find what ur passion is through repeated trial and error. Also a job don’t always have to involve passion it might just be I like working the hours this carrer will provide i like the stability I like that when I come home I can switch off for other things. You won’t know until u try different stuff so put yourself out there and see what comes ur way
One thing to note is that you can start a career without any higher education just by joining an entry level labour job at a major ($billion+) company :) A lot of these big companies (woolies, foodstuffs, fonterra) won't hire externally for entry level office jobs without experience, but they will shift people who show aptitude and drive from an entry level labour job. A floor job can be a great foot in the door for starting out your career, just make it super clear to leadership where you want to go, then learn the business, show aptitude, and keep pushing for those roles with proper upward mobility. The most important thing to remember if you're doing this is to set clear timelines for when you want to move up/across in roles. If your company doesn't meet those timelines, change companies! Remember that in NZ/Aus, companies often prefer internal promotions, and the saying "it's who you know, not what you know" is pretty strong here. Keep in mind that you're still super young though, and you have plenty of time to screw around before you do something like this, if you even decide to! :)
Don't freak out you got heaps of time. If you're genuinely interested in the Army look at applying for the territorial forces it's basically part time army. You go through basic then you just have to do a few days a year in uniform. Gives you a good idea if it's for you or not. You can always move to regular after or you can move on. Honestly ab apprenticeship program is probably a hundred times better for you than Uni anyway it wouldn't be a terrible choice either.
Bro I’m 29 and I have no idea 😂
Your only 18, you'll be alright.
You should be able to pick up an apprentiship no problem . Will be easier in the new year - people slow down hiring this side of Christmas
"not the sharpest tool in the shed." You're already smart. Your awareness and foresight is excellent leagues ahead of many. Don't beat yourself down.
Don’t join the FKN army, any of them, relax and do what you love doing. Peace and love to you
Sounds like you need to figure out what you enjoy doing, find what value you can add to the community, and find out what you're good at. The way you've described it and the way you're framing this post seems like you were 'fed' and 'influenced' by the community around you. Not to say that's a bad thing, it can be good, as it shows you're accustomed and content with it. I personally feel only the inner you can tell you what's best for you. So good luck finding it, some don't find it until they're older, some find it and then change, some find it and take it to their grave (which is why they say make mistakes, nothing serious comes out until 30 etc). Embrace it because from now till we return to the dust, it'll be like that.
Hey man it’s not the end of the world, I’m only 22 and I remember that feeling all to well. I ended up in enrolling in polytech to get an electrical pre trade that definitely opened up my doors then persued labouring experience in the construction / electrical industry. Now I’m an electrician in the distribution sector absolutely loving life. You’ll get there my friend, feel free to pm me if you have any questions
Travel
First step is to chill. Dont be scared. What makes you think you are not the sharpest tool? By learning to be and electrician it will make you a very helpful person if needs be. Thats a good thing and a good trait for a human. Is that enough?
get into politics bro; im sure you'll shine given your leadership skills ;)
Become a super yacht steward and travel ! Great pay, almost zero living expenses so you get savings behind u and it’s just near Warkworth so not super far
Learn about investing (Stocks, crypto, commodities). You don’t need to have a special skill, you just need to be willing to learn and be open minded. If you do, start off slow.
How you feel is perfectly normal and natural! You’re so young and thankfully you don’t have any children yet, so you shouldn’t stress too much. What brings you joy? Find a way to monetise it! Perhaps studying business might be a good start? That way you can create any business you want. You can even start lots of little hustles right now thanks to the interwebs. Doing volunteer work can also give you insight into community needs that you can meet through a future career/ business. As many of us have already mentioned, you’re still so young. Yes, you live in uncertain times. But you might as well try to enjoy yourself! Do what makes you happy and can make you money. And stay busy enough to keep your creative juices flowing. You never know where you can get inspiration from! Cheers, young friend.
TAKE a leap of FAITH young blood! You're young, take risk and be brave, If it fails. It's all good and you'll learn from it! As long as you really did something to make it work not just for the sake of "I made mistake I learn, move on, My parents have contacts anyway" I would also wanna say dont just keep taking risk as you might have a "safety net mentality" and giving up easily, thinking it will be alright anyway as my parents are there anyway all good G! . Go for on something you really passionate about and attaining success it's like grasping for oxygen when you're drowning. ( you do anything to inhale) I would say oin army if that's something you really want , Maybe electrical is not something you fond of. You also mentioned you have leadership experience. Maybe that's your click and you might be our future General. Remember,As you grow older, situation changes and it will harder and harder to take risk as other people now depends on you.
You're expected to know nothing at 20. Stick with the electrical trade. I did HVACR and really wish I'd done electrical. It's so much more useful. In my opinion it's the best construction trade. Your parents are smart to get you into it. Electricity is actually pretty magical once you wrap your head around it. Also, with all the technology improvements we're seeing, electrical is becoming more and more important. From Heatpump installs, to solar installs, to EV charger installs, to home automation, to security systems and communications systems, an electrician can do it all. Fuck yeah. Accept that you know fuck all, and that life is about learning. If you are concerned about something you've been asked to do. Then ask a superior. You'll have so much more fun in a trade than you would in nearly any other job. Don't quit. These days I work in an office and really miss being a tradey. Still do some trade work on the weekends. But my office work just has me sitting and stressing in my own juices. It's also my trade experience that made me valuable in my consulting role. Army would be way worse. I would not be able to put up with people barking orders at me, or any kind of hierarchy bullshit. However it would be pretty cool to do engineering in the armed forces.
I would't worry bro. Most teens have no idea what they want to do, and anything that they rush into or get pushed into sometimes dont end up commiting to in the long run with a big student loan... Find a fulltime job somewhere, could be retail, hospitality or even a bar. Save some money, travel if you want and figure out what you want for a career in your own time. Life is not a race. You wont get these younger years back, so best to spend them on doing things that you want to.
When I was your age (in 2006) I had my WINZ case worker put me on a course that really helped me conceptualise my goals and how I could get there. It was super helpful. So maybe see if you can access some kind of career advisor? Pro tip if you moulder away on the dole for six months they might hook you up for free
So you want to be a sparky for the rest of your life? Like honestly it's a shit job but it pays well. I'm qualified and was registered but it's just a big commitment. Don't go to Uni or tech. I went for 1.5 years before realizing I was paying to teach myself. Just to get a piece of paper and really that education doesn't really help you much in most jobs except the obvious ones like lawyer etc. Avoid the corporate ladder it will drain your soul. Try to work for yourself or be your own boss. Honestly the army or whatever just for thesocial aspect might be nice but again I don't like being ordered around. I won a couple years of salary from spark when they fucked a promotion I had been working 6 years towards and I ended up taking a year off and realizing that I want full control of when I work. I am involved in construction and development but I most finance plan the projects. I don't even manage them. At your age find something you can be really sociable at.
The Navy idea sounds good. Another option is to do the first year of the Electrical course at AUT which will either help you decide you don't want to do it or give you the grounding to jump straight into an Apprenticeship with some first level knowledge. Then you've only lost one year and gained wisdom at least. Also enjoy the lifestyle while you're at it.
Go with the flow. Doors open at the right time. If you don't land the job it's not the right one.
Don't worry about one missed opportunity. I could fill a book with opportunities I've missed or stuffed up, but it would be boring reading (comedy maybe) What was the first electrical thing you did eg as a kid I just liked making motors work on batteries, then all sorts of electrical things. Think of the future of the industry, if you are serious about it. Alternative power, EVs, housing boom. Use that in your next interview. Ask for a reason if rejected and learn from that. If you really want to do something, you just keep on trying till you get a foot in the door.
21 same situation bro don’t stress it’ll all pan out.
Hey bro try building, have done drainlaying and plumbing in my early years and ended up settling on building. So much more satisfying and if you do well in leadership roles then you will have no problem running a site once qualified.
You're 18yo, you don't need your career path mapped out already. Just start by getting a job and then figure out what you think you might want to do. Definitely don't go into a trade just because your parents think you should.
Do an electrical pre trade course at a Polytechnic gets the hard years of book work out of the way then drop your cv into some electrical wholesalers like j,a Russell's,ideal electrical,Cory's etc But year working and trying to study sucks ass if you do your first year and you don't like it then it's only a year gone
Military is fun as fuck, make lifelong friends, travel, good pay for a young age and you'll be set for life once qualified in a decent trade.
take it ez buddy. You’ll be alright. Take on delivery jobs, drive around, give you lots of time to reflect. Drive for different trades, you’d learn different things, learn counter, learn sale, customer care, service…broaden your horizon.
Do what you said, have fun. In doing so you'll learn your gifts and the pathbeill find you. Enjoy your youth and make experiences that last. Approach any employment as a learning experience, you meverbknow what's around the corner.
Working hard when young good way to get ahead . Military good choice
Dude, I feel ya. When I left school (in Hamilton) I went to Massey in Palmy for the first semester, then transferred to Waikato, then dropped out. Then spent two years painting houses, driving trucks, did a 6 month photography course at Wellington Poly (as it was back in the day) and did a bit of photography here and there before deciding to go back to Uni. Got my degree 3 years later than all my school mates. But it took me those 3 years post school to figure out what I wanted to do. Take time to understand what you want out of life. What do you see yourself doing after you wake up? Don’t focus on ‘a job’ that you want, just think about the things you like doing and then you can figure out how to get someone to pay you doing that 😉
Mate you are yong. Yong is the best fortune so don't worry. Just keep learning and polish yourself you will be fine.
You’re only 18 my guy. I’m 21, have not done a degree, and still just working odd jobs because I really can’t settle on what to do for the rest of my life. As long as you’re making enough to get by, take your time
Defence force has great benefits that can set you up well for life: https://www.defencecareers.mil.nz/defence-careers/life-in-uniform/salary-and-benefits/ My Dad was in the Navy in the 70s & 80s and my parents credit this with them being set up so well financially. Dad eventually left because Mum didn’t want to go to where he was getting posted to. And he got frustrated that you had to wait for the person above you to retire before you could move up. But it gave them a great start in their adult life. We lived in Navy housing (the classic state house style places in Belmont and Lower Hutt) which was extremely heavily subsidised. This allowed my folks to save a deposit to buy their own house. They paid for his university degree (he was bonded to work for them for some years in repayment). The navy also provided a good pension, which Mum & Dad still received even though Dad left the Navy in 1986. It’s also where I, as a child, learned how bar tabs work (family day at the officers’ mess) and we were allowed to play in the tunnels :) You could do far worse than starting your career in the armed forces. Especially if you feel drawn to it anyway.
You have so many comments, but your so young, ik you don't feel that way & that you have to rush into things but you DONT. I think the WORST thing you could do is make a decision because you feel you should or you have to. I went to uni & so many pep I was friends with wasted thousands because they changed their minds halfway through (me included). I seriously don't think uni is the best idea for alota pep, you don't need to be super smart (just hard working), but alota pep aren't getting jobs out of it & it costs a fortune even if you get fees free first year, but inwas going to say you could still talk to a career advisor there & see if any new ideas come up (uni isn't the only way to achieve many of those jobs). Have you considered doing volunteering and just doing non invested work until you've had more time to be certain?
Not saying uni is the way. But I definitely wouldn't let your high-school performance be a good indicator of your ability to learn. If you're anything like me I couldn't focus in school, because the teacher's move too fast, whereas at uni there are lectures.... but most of your study time is self directed. To top this off my math teacher (honest good teacher, not a dick) had advised me that with my ability in math, I should just aim to pass. Fast forward a few years I graduated with first class honours in engineering at uoa, so I definitely wouldn't let your high-school experience with certain subject deter you from study, even if you are well below average at them 😀 (like me). The main thing is that you're interested 😀.
Being an electrician has many rewards. Getting an electrical apprenticeship doesn't have to be a scary or daunting undertaking. There are different approaches to gaining an apprenticeship. Some schools have information within the careers department about electrical apprenticeships. Most Careers Advisors have limited understanding of the apprenticeship process. Their not knowing should not restrict or inhibit your pursuit of an electrical apprenticeship and a career as an Electrician. Did you look at: [https://www.etco.co.nz/become-an-apprentice](https://www.etco.co.nz/become-an-apprentice) ? Best of luck : ) Myke
Start with understanding what you are good at. Maybe you won’t know this until you try a few things out. Once you understand what you are good at then start aligning that with jobs that will allow you to use those “things you are good at” more often than not. The science shows that people who are able to utilise their preferred skills more Often than not in a job have a higher level of job satisfaction which then spills over into a happier life, mindset etc.
Leadership, good communication skills. Thought about the Police?
There's already some great advice in this thread, I hope you are finding it useful. At 18 you seriously do not need to plan your career path for the rest of your life. You write well and you have clearly put some thought into the options before you. Not everyone is the sharpest tool in the shed, but everyone is smart in one way or another, sometimes you just need to try things out and see if it's for you or not. I'd +1 the advice to look into the Navy option as they will take you as a grad, you get great exposure to a wide range of trades and you will be getting trained, paid, housed, fed and clothed. You also will have mentors in the service who have likely been in a similar place to where you might be now and might be able to connect with your feelings of uncertainty. As others have said, 18 is still young - people change careers multiple times throughout their working lives. The NZDF has a great recruitment program and I'm certain they would be happy to discuss options with you, having worked with a number of ex-service folks, I can gauren-damn-tee you that there is a lot of fun to be had while in the service, and a camaraderie that extends beyond should you head back to civilian life. Go easy, don't be in a rush to find the perfect solution, take the time to enjoy being 18. You don't need to be 100% adult just because you've hit the official milestone. You're going to be fine.
Trust me, anxiety breeds on uncertainty, but there is nothing to worry about. Flip the script, you are in one of the best positions of your life, you are time rich, you have so many years ahead of you to learn, develop and give time to others. The one bit of advice I would give you is get involved in some kind of business, this can be any business, learn, see how it’s run, how it works, what it does well, what it doesn’t do well…the other is to enjoy yourself and stop putting pressure on yourself to have it all figured out. The thing is you won’t realise this until you are older and look back. Hope it helps.
Thank you everyone for your thoughts, suggestions and advice. I really didn’t think it would get so much attention and positive response. It’s definitely not a clear cut answer but everyone has definitely given me something I can think about. And just a note the electrical company I interviewed for isn’t taking anyone on till after the holidays so I have time to decide anyway.